Shayne Looper: Should the Church support a political party?

Tuesday

Jan 31, 2017 at 10:35 AMJan 31, 2017 at 10:35 AM

Shayne Looper More Content Now

America is more sharply divided than it has been in my lifetime, and it is not just a political divide. It is an ideological one, and it has led to an almost compulsive distrust. Few on either side show respect for those with whom they disagree or even listen to their opponents and try to understand their positions. The result is an exceptional level of animosity not just in the houses of Congress but in homes across America.

Where does the church fit into this picture? One only has to ask the question to discover that the ideological fault line runs through the church too. Depending on which side of the line they find themselves, Christians are accusing their brothers and sisters on the other side of racism, xenophobia and greed or of biblical unfaithfulness, theological dishonesty and infidelity with an ungodly culture.

Evangelicals sided overwhelmingly with the Republicans in the last election, and the mainline churches cried foul. They sided with the Democrats, so much so that Professor Will Willimon (once a United Methodist bishop) could call his beloved Methodist Church “the Democratic party on her knees.” Which should we choose? Should the church side with Republicans or Democrats, with the right or with the left?

Neither. It is not the church’s job to side with political parties. Her allegiance belongs to the kingdom of God. I hasten to add this does not mean that Christians should drop out of political engagement. Rather it means that Christians should use the political parties insofar as they promote justice and people’s wellbeing. They should use the parties, not be used by them. The church must not allow itself and its gospel to be coopted.

The church’s position is roughly equivalent to the Free French (aka “The Resistance”) during the Second World War. Their goal was to see a democratically-elected government, free of Nazi interference, established in their homeland. The church longs to see the kingdom of God established on earth.

People who join the church are not joining a religious club or a theological society. They’re joining “The Resistance.” They are ordinary men and women who know that things are not the way they are supposed to be in the world and, more importantly, in themselves. They are willing to change and to be change agents, and yet they are not committed to change; they are committed to their King. They have sworn allegiance to his kingdom.

— Shayne Looper is the pastor of Lockwood Community Church in Branch County. Read more at shaynelooper.com.